A Mother's Love
by queenofthegoatsstuff
Summary: What would happen if Loki had been found as a child instead of an infant? Rated T for possible trigger warnings, post-war scenes, past child abuse.
1. War Orphan

The stench of rotting corpses hung in the air of the battlefield. After weeks of fighting, Asgard had finally emerged the victor in the war. Frigga stepped out of her tent, a bag of medicine and tools in hand. She had come against her husband's will, knowing full well he wouldn't last ten minutes without her. She had been right, of course, as she'd had to heal him on the first day after an arrow struck him in the leg. Now she combed the battlefield in search of survivors, but found only silent, still bodies. She stepped over the corpses of both Jotuns and fellow Aseir. She paused at the body of a young Jotun. A look of pure terror was frozen in his red eyes. His mouth hung open in shock, revealing jagged teeth. Frigga was reminded the Jotuns were not so different from them, no matter what other Aseir said.

The common belief among Aseir was that all Jotuns were hideous, unfeeling monsters, but the look on the young giant's face begged to differ. She wondered if he was truly evil, she thought not. Perhaps he had only thoughts of defending his home. _We may be the monsters to them,_ she thought as she studied his frightened face. She almost couldn't tear her eyes away from the young soldier, but her duty was to help the living, not pity the dead. Up ahead she saw what appeared to be an abandoned Jotun field station. Part of her thought it would be dangerous, that if there was a survivor, they would not welcome her, but a stronger part of her urged her on.

As she approached the tent, she heard a quiet, muffled sobbing. Frigga cautiously opened the tent flap to find a small child curled up on the dirt, sobbing and shaking. _Surely he is not a soldier,_ she thought, _he is so small, even for a young one. He shouldn't even be out here._ She thought of her own son, safe at home in Asgard with his nursemaid to take care of him. "Are you hurt?" she asked softly. The boy's head snapped up with a look of horror in his crimson eyes. He scrambled to his feet and whipped a dagger out of his pocket. "What do you want!?" he demanded, hands shaking. "I'm a healer," Frigga hastily replied, "I'm here to help you." His face reminded her of the dead soldier she'd seen earlier and this time it terrified her. "Why do you want to help me!? You're one of _them_!" _We may be the monsters to them,_ the thought forced its way back into her mind, making her eyes water.

"I'm a healer, I only want to help people," she tried to explain. The boy's eyes drilled holes into her through the mats of black hair that hung down in his face. "I have no weapons," she lied, "only medical tools." They seemed to be locked in a standoff. Perhaps she should just leave the boy to his own devices, he clearly didn't want her help, but her instinct told her otherwise. "At least tell me your name," she was almost begging. "Loki," the boy snapped. She nodded. "Loki, that is a nice name. My name is Frigga," she replied. He stared blankly at her for a few seconds. If it was at all possible, his eyes grew wider. "Y-you're," he stammered, "y-you're the queen! You're _their_ queen!" Her heart dropped to her feet. Now he may never trust her. "I only came to heal people," she said desperately, "I want to help you. You must trust me!" He continued to stare in silence. Then came an all too familiar question for her, the question every child asks every day. "Why?" Loki's voice tore through the eerie silence.

Frigga struggled to find the right words, any words. Why did she want to help this boy? Was it the dead Jotun? Because he reminded her of Thor? Simple maternal instinct? A bleeding heart, perhaps? She took a deep breath. "Truthfully," she began, "I am not sure. I think it is because you remind me of my son," the ghost of a smile crept onto her face, "and maybe I've got a soft spot for children." To her surprise, he lowered his dagger. "How about you give that here?" she asked. She might be pushing her luck, but it still made her uneasy. "I don't let my son have knives, either," she tried to make her case. "I'm not your son," Loki said coldly, slipping the knife in his back pocket. "Fair enough," Frigga said softly.

As she took a cautious step towards him, she noticed how sunken in his face was. Clearly he had not eaten in some time. "Now, why don't you come with me and maybe we can find your parents?" she asked hopefully. Loki's eyes watered. "No, they're dead!" he cried, tears spilling down his face. "They're dead because of _them!_ Because of _you_!" He sank down to the ground in defeat. Now Frigga was dangerously close to crying herself. "They're dead and I don't know what's going to happen to me," he whispered. Frigga's heart sank down to her feet. She could only picture Thor weeping for her and Odin. "Nothing will happen to you," Frigga spoke without thinking. A Jotun would be unwelcome in an Aseir camp, but Frigga would fight her way in if she had to. "Come to my camp and I'll make sure you're taken care of," she promised.

Loki stared up at her with dripping eyes and she felt her own tears spill onto her cheeks. She was beginning to love those ruby eyes. "Why are you crying?" he asked her. She sniffed. "Because you are in pain and that hurts me," she extended her hand, weaving a quick protection spell, "Take my hand and we'll walk to camp. There's food and a warm bed for you." Something must have gotten through to him. No longer did he look at her with fear or disdain, but with desperation. He looked at her hand, then back up to her. "But I'll hurt you," he said nervously. She smiled and shook her head. "No you won't, come now," she said gently. Loki reached for her with a shaky hand and smiled weakly when she did not scream in pain or draw her hand back. "Let's go get you some food," Frigga said warmly.

When they reached the camp Frigga felt Loki's hand tighten in a vice-like grip. She stopped to kneel down and met his eyes. "No harm will come to you here," she assured him. His lip quivered. "But they killed my parents! They killed everyone!" he wailed. Without thinking, Frigga wrapped the crying boy in her arms. "What will happen to me?" he whimpered into her shoulder. Frigga found him pulling at her heartstrings even harder. She let herself think for a split second before answering. "I'm going to take care of you," she decided. She didn't care what her husband would say, there was no reason why they couldn't take care of him. Yes, if he had no family, he was coming with her to Asgard. Thor would surely love to have a play mate; she was sure Loki would too. "Don't worry about anyone in there," she pointed to the camp, "remember, they have to listen to me." She smiled, and her heart warmed when he returned the favor. It was a tiny, awkward smile, but it was there.

They were met with several odd stares from soldiers when they entered the camp. Loki clung to Frigga's side as if she were his mother. "Back to your posts!" barked Frigga. The soldiers scurried away, mumbling apologies. "See?" she said. "They do everything I ask of them." Frigga led Loki into her tent and sat him down on one of her chairs. "Now," she said, studying him, "I think you'll need a bath first." Loki only nodded, craning his neck to study the tent. Frigga noted his long, matted black hair. "And a haircut would also be nice," she added. She had water brought over to the tent and fetched some clothes while it warmed. She came back to find Loki poking around the tent exploring. He was inspecting the books she'd brought. As soon as he heard her he whipped around. Frigga thought he would be blushing if his cheeks weren't a deep shade of blue. "I've never seen Aseir books," he said shyly. Frigga smiled, "Perhaps I'll tell you some of our stories, then," she replied.

She sat down with her back turned while Loki stepped into the bath. "Um, Frigga," he said nervously. "Yes," she answered. "Um, do you think you could tell me one of those stories?" he asked shyly. She smiled. "Of course," she replied, "just give me a moment to think of one." It took her more than a moment to recall an Aseir story that didn't involve battle with the Frost Giants, but eventually she settled on one. He seemed to like it, as he didn't make a sound while she told it. She would periodically stop the story and remind him to do something, as mothers do. "Don't forget to wash your hair," she told him right in the middle of the story. By the time she had finished telling her story, he was done as well, and announced it with a splash and a thud. "Ow!" he cried. Frigga sprang up and whirled around to find him on the floor flat on his face. "I tripped," he said pathetically. He curled himself up into a ball while Frigga got his towel off of the tub. She let out a gasp as she went to drape the towel over him. Ugly bruises danced over his back and arms. There was no way he could have gotten them during his fall. He hastily covered himself. "What did this to you?" Frigga asked in shock. Loki shrugged. "Mother and Father make me mind sometimes," he said simply, as if the matter needed no further explanation. Frigga simply knelt where she was, mouth open in shock. Not all Jotuns were monsters, that much she knew to be true, but this boy's parents clearly were.

Soon Loki looked like a completely different boy. He'd had about two weeks' worth of dirt scrubbed off, and his hair had been combed for the first time in weeks and was now out of his eyes. The clothes Frigga had brought for him were about five sizes too big, but after some cutting and sewing on her part they were only two sizes too big. He looked like he was wearing a sack of grain. "Well," she said, standing and inspecting her work, "I think all that leaves is the food." With that she left for the mess tent. She even managed to find some milk. She made her way back to the tent, beaming. Frigga pulled the flap back and found Loki levitating one of her books absentmindedly. He froze and the book thudded to the ground. His eyes were red saucers as he stumbled back, sputtering unintelligibly. "I-I'm sorry!" he yelped. "I won't do it again! I-I p-promise!"

Frigga's jaw dropped as she stared at him. She set the food down and swooped down to embrace him. He flinched as she came closer, but relaxed at her touch. "Why would I ever be angry at you for that?" she asked, astounded. He sniffed. "Mother and Father didn't like it. Said it was unnatural, that it was evil. Nobody liked it, not my parents, not my brothers," he sounded so hurt, Frigga wanted to take him home with her that instant. "This is not evil!" exclaimed Frigga. "This means you possess an incredible gift denied to many!" Loki sniffed and met her eyes. "It does?" he asked pitifully. She smiled down at him. "Yes, I have it, too," she replied, levitating the same book he had. At that moment, the little boy looked the happiest she had ever seen him.

Loki ate like a starving animal and in no time at all the entire tray of food was gone. "Would you like some more?" Frigga asked. He shook his head. "No thank you." Frigga peeked out the tent flap and saw the sun going down. She looked back and saw Loki slumping in his seat. "Loki," she said. He looked up at her with tired eyes. "When was the last time you got any sleep?" she asked. "I don't remember," he answered, rubbing his eyes. She crossed the tent and beckoned him over. He shuffled over and she pulled back her bed covers. He gave her a confused look. "But this is your bed," he said simply. "I won't miss it," she replied. He looked at the bed, then back at Frigga. "You don't want me to sleep on the floor?" he asked. Once again, Frigga found herself at a loss for words. Perhaps he came from a poor family. "Why, no," she said, "of course not." Loki stood there for a moment, but his fatigue must have got the better of him. He crawled between the sheets and made himself comfortable.

"Sleep for as long as you like, and I'll be right here when you wake up," she assured him. He smiled and his eyelids began to droop. "Frigga," he said when she'd gotten up. She turned around. "Thank you," he said, tired but sincere, "for everything." Frigga beamed. "You are most welcome, Loki," she replied. With that, he rolled over and fell fast asleep.

It had been nearly half an hour when Odin stepped into Frigga's tent. "I thought I would come visit you before mess was over," at the sound of Odin's voice, Loki stirred for a moment and let out a tiny, pathetic groan before drifting back off to sleep. Odin flinched. "Frigga, what is that?" he asked incredulously. Frigga stood up from her chair and checked on Loki. "A boy," she answered simply. Odin furrowed his brow slightly. "I see that, but what is he doing in your bed?" Frigga smirked. "Obviously he is sleeping," she replied. Odin sighed. "Frigga," he started, growing frustrated. Frigga smiled and threw her hands up in surrender. "Alright, alright!" she laughed softly. "He's an orphan I found on the battlefield. He's simply the sweetest boy, he has the gift of Seidr! He says there is no one left to take care of him, and if that is true I wish to take him in." Her stern face told her husband she would not take no for an answer. Odin struggled to come up with an argument. His mouth opened, but Frigga cut him off. "His name is Loki and I am very fond of him," she said, decidedly, "besides, Thor could use a playmate."

Odin sighed. "What did you say his name was?" he asked. "Loki," replied Frigga. Odin peered at the boy, studying his face. He frowned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I assume that you had no idea he is the youngest member of the Jotun Royal Family?" Frigga's eyes widened. "No!" she exclaimed, managing to keep her voice down. "I thought he came from a poor family! He expected me to make him sleep on the floor! He was left all alone!" Odin saw desperation in his wife's eyes. She clearly wanted to keep the child. "I'm sorry, Frigga," he said, "but his brother, Helblindi, is still alive and I'm sure he will want his brother back."

Frigga's mouth hung open. She looked on the verge of tears. "But," she nearly choked, "you wouldn't believe what he's told me! He says they beat him if he uses his gift!" Odin gave his wife a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, Frigga, but taking Loki will not help our post-war negotiations," he said. Frigga nodded. "I know," she said shakily, "I just wish…" Her voice trailed off and a tear rolled down her cheek. "I know," said Odin softly as he wrapped his wife in an embrace. "I meet with Helblindi in half an hour, I will tell him his brother is alive," he said. Frigga sniffed and nodded. Loki slept on, blissfully unaware of the situation unfolding.

Freezing cold wind bit at Odin as he made his way to his tent. He pulled back the flap and a young Jotun sat at his table, propping his feet up on it. "Nice of you to join me," the Jotun drawled. "My most sincere apologies, Helblindi," said Odin, "I have just received some interesting news from my wife." Helblindi raised his eyebrows. "Interesting, you say?" he asked, taking his feet off the table. "Yes," replied Odin, "my wife discovered a small child on the battlefield. He said his name was Loki. He wouldn't happen to be your younger brother, would he?" Helblindi rolled his eyes. "So the little freak's alive, is he?" Odin furrowed his brow. "I beg your pardon?" he asked.

"Yeah, he can do these _unnatural_ things like making things float. No telling what he'll learn to do next. Mother and Father tried to beat it out of him, but it never worked. I honestly didn't think the little runt would make through this," said Helblindi bitterly. Odin couldn't come up with a response. He needed to get back on good terms with the Jotuns, though. "Well, I assumed you would want him back," Odin said awkwardly. Helblindi scoffed. "I wouldn't say that I _want_ him back, but if you're tired of him already I'll take him." Odin couldn't see why Helblindi had such hate for a child, his own brother, at that.

He thought of how much Frigga cared for the boy. "Well, my wife seems to be very fond of him," said Odin. Helblindi snorted. "Does she want him?" he asked. "Ah, well," this was one of the first times in his life Odin actually stuttered, "we wouldn't want to take him away from his home, his family." Helblindi stretched upwards. He looked to be about fifteen, but he towered over Odin. "If your wife wants a pet, she can keep the little beast," he said, "it's not like I need any future competition for the crown." Odin fought back a smile. Frigga would be overjoyed!

The two monarchs decided that they would leave each other alone for the time being so Helblindi could acquaint himself with the crown. A treaty was drafted and signed by both of them, ensuring each realm would ignore the other for now. With that, Helblindi left, assuring Odin that Frigga could take Loki. Once the Jotun left, Odin allowed himself a smile. He couldn't wait to see the look on Frigga's face. He hurried back to her tent and threw open the flap. Loki was up and looking quite nervous. Frigga was kneeling beside him, hand on his shoulder trying to console him. "But I want to stay with you!" Loki wailed. She must have told him he was going home. Odin cleared his throat. Frigga's head snapped around. She looked on the verge of tears. "When do I have to take him back?" she asked. Odin smiled. "You don't have to."


	2. Coming Home

"I-I don't have to take him back?" asked Frigga incredulously. "What do you mean?" Odin grinned. "I mean that I talked to Helblindi and he said that we could take Loki if we wanted him" he said. A wide-eyed Frigga looked from Odin to Loki, her smile growing. The tears that had formed in her eyes now rolled down her cheeks, but now out of joy. "Did you hear that, Loki?" she asked, "You can stay with us!" Loki was beaming as well. His ruby eyes glowed and his smiled revealed neat rows of sharp, white teeth. "When do we leave?!" he asked excitedly. "What's it like?!" He continued to ramble off questions without any time for a response, as children do.

"Slow down, slow down," cooed Frigga, "We will leave this afternoon, but there are some things you should know first. Sit down." Loki planted himself on the floor in front of Frigga. "On the bed, Loki," she chortled. "Oh," he said, soundly slightly embarrassed. Frigga helped him up and sat him on the bed. Loki eyed Odin across the tent. He wasn't so sure if he liked Odin; his eyepatch scared him, not to mention the countless stories he'd heard about him and all the Jotuns he'd killed. Frigga was nice though, and anyone married to Frigga had to be nice.

"Before we go to Asgard," said Frigga, "I will have to put you under a small spell." Loki furrowed his brow. "Why?" he asked. "Well," replied Frigga, "Obviously people look different on Asgard, and for now, I think the best thing to do is alter you slightly." Loki flinched. "You're going to put a spell on me?" he asked. "Yes," answered Frigga, "don't worry, it won't hurt, and it's only for a little while." Loki took a deep breath. "Alright," he said after a long pause, "do it." Frigga smiled and took both his hands in hers. "Ready?" she asked. Loki nodded and closed his eyes. He felt warm all of the sudden, like sunlight was running through his veins.

"Alright, it's done,'' Frigga said. Loki opened his eyes. The rubies had turned into emeralds. Loki looked down at his hands and gasped. "I-I…I look…" he couldn't finish. Frigga smiled. "You look like an Aseir," she replied. Loki beamed at her. His once jagged teeth were now flat and smooth. He looked back at his hands and his smile faded. "Will I be able to change back?" Frigga nodded. "You should be able to do it yourself, too." His eyes snapped back up to her. "I can?" he asked. "Just concentrate, focus on your normal Jotun appearance," instructed Frigga. His eyes closed and he concentrated as best he could. Icy blue crept all over his body and once again he opened up crimson eyes. Frigga smiled. "Very good," she said, "Now you must promise to do that only when I say or you are alone." Loki furrowed his brow. "Why?" he asked. Frigga thought for a moment. "Perhaps it would be best if I explained later," she replied.

Loki morphed back into his Aseir form and Frigga gathered all of her things. Loki was bouncing up and down with excitement. "We're going soon, aren't we?" he asked for what felt like the thousandth time for Frigga. "Yes, yes, calm down," she attempted to placate him by telling him stories about the castle. "I can't wait to go! We're about to leave, right?!" Frigga thought he would explode if they didn't leave soon. She put her hands on his shoulders to stop his constant bouncing. "Alright," she finally said, "now we're going to leave." Loki was grinning from ear to ear. "Now you listen to me and listen good," Frigga said sternly. Loki's smile faded slightly and he nodded.

"We are going to travel through the Bifrost," Frigga explained, "have you heard of that?" Loki shook his head. "The most important thing you need to know is to hold onto my hand. Do you understand?" Loki nodded. "You mustn't let go until I tell you, tell me you understand," she repeated. "I understand," Loki was slightly scared now, thinking this Bifrost must be very dangerous. "Good," said Frigga. She stood up and offered Loki her hand. In Loki's opinion, Frigga began to act rather odd. She turned her head up to the sky and shouted, "Heimdall, open the Bifrost!" There was a deafening crash followed by colored lights swirling around them. Terrified, Loki clung to Frigga like an insect.

Loki felt like he was being pick up and spun around. As he held on to Frigga for dear life, he began to cry out of fear. Then, in the blink of an eye, everything stopped. They were back on solid ground again. Loki, however, was still paralyzed with fear and had his face buried in Frigga's skirt. "Loki," Frigga's voice was soothing, "it's alright, you can let go now," she cooed. Loki slowly released his grip and looked up at Frigga. She beamed down at him, already he was feeling better. Loki's eyes widened when he saw where they were. Somehow, they had left Jotunheim, and had been transported to the most beautiful room he'd ever seen. Every square inch was covered in gold.

Gold was extremely rare in Jotunheim, and Loki had only seen it once before; it seemed Asgard was made of it. "I've never seen so much," he breathed. "I see you have not come back empty handed, Your Majesty," a deep, booming voice from behind made Loki jump. He and Frigga turned around and were faced with one of the biggest Aseir he had ever seen. He was gold, too; covered head to toe in it. His eyes frightened Loki. They seemed to reach into his soul. "Do not be frightened, Loki, son of Laufey," said the man, "all are welcome in the Realm Eternal." Loki relaxed a bit. "This is Heimdall," explained Frigga, "he guards the Bifrost." Loki nodded as he realized this was who Frigga had been calling to.

Frigga motioned for him to follow her and he was led outside and faced with a daunting sight. A long bridge lay before them, twinkling with thousands of lights. At the end of this bridge the most magnificent sight towered into the sky. An enormous golden castle loomed overhead. Frigga led him over the glittering rainbow bridge to the shining palace. Jotunheim's palace had been made from ice and stone, and was now in ruins. Everything in Asgard seemed to be the opposite of home. Loki shrunk closer to Frigga as they approached the massive palace doors. Guards were positioned all along the walls. Aseir in armor still made Loki flinch. "Relax, dear," Frigga reassured him, "they answer to me, remember?" Loki nodded slowly and continued to follow her.

Guards pulled open the doors with a deafening creak and Loki's mouth fell open. It was as if Asgard was made entirely of beauty. Jotunheim's entire army could have marched through the vast marble hallway. "When we arrive at my home, you will meet my son," Frigga explained, "he is about your age. I think you'll get along quite well." Loki grew nervous at the thought of meeting Frigga's son. What if her son didn't like him? Would he be sent back to Jotunheim? He tried to shake the thoughts from his head. The palace seemed to go on forever. His legs grew tired and he began to slow down. Frigga glanced at him. "We are nearly there," she assured him.

Soon they reached a different set of doors, these bearing the symbol of Valknut; Loki recognized it from the shields of the Aseir. With a wave of Frigga's hand, the doors opened. Bright and intricate tapestries caught Loki's eye as he entered Frigga's home. "Wait here," she instructed, "and I'll fetch my son." Loki nodded and traced the runes on a tapestry with his finger. He hadn't the slightest idea as to what they meant, but he needed something to keep his mind off his nervousness.

Frigga quickly scaled the staircase and approached Thor's room. Her list of concerns grew as she climbed. What if they didn't like each other? She couldn't send Loki back, so what could she do? She attempted to push the thoughts from her mind as she opened Thor's door. She found her son on the floor playing with his toy soldiers. His head snapped up as the door opened. "Mother, you're back!" he cried and sprang up. Frigga knelt down and wrapped him in an embrace. "I missed you," said Thor. Frigga smiled. "I missed you more," she replied.

Frigga let go of her son and gazed into his bright blue eyes, Odin's eyes. "I have some important news, Thor," she said. Thor nodded. "I've brought someone back from Jotunheim," Frigga explained. "You mean a prisoner?" Thor asked enthusiastically. "No!" Frigga exclaimed. Thor jumped a bit. "I'm sorry," Frigga retreated, "I only mean this person is here on friendly terms." "Oh," said Thor simply. Frigga took a moment to compose herself. "He is a boy, about your age," at this Thor's eyes lit up, "and he will be staying with us." Thor broke into a wide grin. "Really? What's he like? Can I see him?" If Frigga hadn't stopped him, he would have rattled off a thousand questions. "He is a very nice boy," she answered, "and I expect you to be on your best behavior when you meet him. Do you understand?" Thor nodded. "When can I see him?" He was now bobbing up and down just like Loki had earlier that day. "You can see him right now," she chortled. She hoped the boys' mutual enthusiasm was a good sign.

Downstairs Loki fiddled with the tassels on the bottom of a tapestry. He heard a door close upstairs, followed by footsteps on the staircase. He swallowed and braced himself. _I hope he likes me, I hope he likes me,_ he nervously repeated the mantra in his head over and over. He could see it now, Frigga's son would absolutely despise him and he would be sent back to Jotunheim and his brother would laugh at him and strike him for being delusional as well as odd. He suddenly felt very hot. Frigga and her son came into view going down the stairs and Loki let go of the tapestry. Frigga's son looked very much like Odin. He had blond hair, blue eyes and a stout build. He smiled like Frigga, though, warm and kind.

Thor took in the boy at the bottom of the staircase. Even though he was from Jotunheim, he didn't look like a Frost Giant; his skin was eerily pale. He wore very odd clothes, they were much too big for him. His eyes were a hauntingly bright shade of green. This new boy was a little shorter than he was, and seemed very nervous. Thor took it upon himself to make him feel welcome. He smiled and walked right up to the new boy. "Hello," he said. "Hello," the boy replied shyly. "My name's Thor," he continued, "what's yours?" "Loki," the boy's voice was barely above a whisper. Thor tuck out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Loki," he said. Loki shook his hand; a tiny smile began to form in the corner of his mouth. "Nice to meet you, too, Thor, answered Loki.

Frigga beamed at her two boys. Hopefully this was a sign of good things to come. "So you're from Jotunheim?" inquired Thor. Loki nodded. "I'm glad to be here, though," said Loki. On the other side of the house, Frigga heard the door shut. The servants must have brought lunch. "Boys," said Frigga. Both children turned to meet her gaze. Loki seemed a bit more at ease. "I don't suppose you're hungry?" Their eyes lit up. "I'm hungry!" exclaimed Thor. "Me too," said Loki quietly.

Thor, determined to become friends with this boy, grabbed his hand. "Come on, I'll show you to the dining room!" He leaned forward and whispered in Loki's ear. "I'll show you where Mother keeps the sweets!"

Loki grinned. He was starting to like Thor, and maybe Thor would like him after all. He was led down a hall and into a fairly small, narrow room filled with a long wooden table lined with benches. At the sight of the food on the table, Loki's eyes widened and his mouth watered. He'd never seen so much food on one table. Meat, bread, cheese, vegetables all filled the plates. All of it looked fresher than Loki normally saw. He licked his lips. "Well, don't just stare at it," said Thor, who had already sat down, "go on and eat!" Loki sat down next to Thor and loaded his plate down. He didn't take too much, for fear of wasting food, a terrible offense in Joutunhiem.

Frigga almost couldn't contain her happiness. Already they were getting along so well. She noticed the small amount of food on Loki's plate. "Loki, dear, take as much as you like," she said. Loki only nodded and continued eating. By the end of the meal, Loki looked the happiest she'd seen him since he learned he was coming to Asgard. Through the meal he and Thor had talked about what they liked to do. Loki's eyes had lit up when he heard about the enormous library. He then seemed saddened. "I don't know how to read Aseir," he said somberly. There were those melancholy eyes again, breaking her heart. "Oh, Loki, don't worry about that, I can teach you," she assured him. His smile crept back onto his face. "Really?" he asked. Frigga nodded. "I can teach you anything you want," Frigga adored the look of happiness that came over him.

Thor tapped Loki's soldier and motioned towards the door. Loki figured that he was going to show him where Frigga kept these sweets he talked about. "Just where do you think you're going, Thor?" asked Frigga. Loki concluded that Thor was terrible at lying because he instantly broke into a grin. "Nowhere," he said. Frigga knitted her eyebrows. "You're not going to raid the kitchen for sweets, are you?" "It's a special occasion, Mother!" Thor protested. "Is it, now?" she asked. Thor smirked and glanced at Loki. "Yes," he replied, "it's Loki's first day on Asgard!" Frigga raised her eyebrows. There was a short pause. "Alright," she said finally, "but only one apiece!" she shouted after them as they dashed into the kitchen. Thor climbed on top of the counter like a large, blond squirrel. On top of a cupboard was a clay jar. Thor carefully picked the jar up and clambered back down.

"Mother makes the best biscuits!" exclaimed Thor as he produced a small, round, sugary-looking biscuit and handed it to Loki. "Thank you," Loki said quietly as he accepted the biscuit. It was the most amazing thing Loki had ever eaten. It was so sweet, and it was gone so quickly. "You look like you want another one," said Thor with a cheerful smirk. He handed the jar to Loki, who looked a bit like a startled animal. "But Frigga said only one," he said. "One more won't hurt," replied Thor, "besides, it's your first day here!" Loki grinned mischievously and snatched another biscuit. Thor heaved himself back onto the counter to put the biscuits back.

"Do you want me to show you around the house?" asked Thor when he was back on the floor. "Alright!" Loki chirped. The boys went back through the dining room, passing Frigga up. "Where are you two going?" she asked. "I'm going to show Loki around the house," answered Thor. Frigga nodded and smiled. "Have fun!" The boys scampered off towards the staircase. Thor led Loki up the stairs and into his room. "I got a lot of toys for my birthday, do you want to test them out?" he asked.

Loki's eyes lit up. He'd never had very many toys before. "Sure!" he exclaimed. Toys were scattered all over the floor of Thor's room. Loki's eyes almost popped out of his head at the sight of them. There were toys of all kinds; soldiers, horses, dogs, dragons. Thor dropped down to the floor and picked up a soldier. "Take your pick!" he said.

Frigga climbed up the stairs to check on the boys. She heard muffled laughter coming from Thor's room. She peeked in the door to find Loki levitating a toy dragon and making it fly in circles around Thor's head. "Make it fly upside down!" laughed Thor. Loki complied and the dragon flew on its back, even making it do loops in the air. Frigga's heart swelled. Yes, she was sure they would get along just fine.


	3. Loki and Thor

Thor and Loki seemed to play for the rest of the day, and that evening Frigga found the two boys collapsed on the floor asleep. She tiptoed through the minefeild of toys to kneel in between them. "Thor, Loki," she said gently. Thor merely grunted and Loki fidgeted slightly. She tapped them each on the shoulder. "Boys, wake up," she tried again. Loki gasped and awoke with a shock, though he relaxed at the sight of Frigga. Thor's eyes lazily pried themselves open. "Mm?" he grunted.

"You two should get ready for bed," said Frigga. "Mkay," Thor said as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Pick all these toys up, first," instructed Frigga. The boys slowly picked themselves off the floor and began clearing the floor. Thor picked up a few toys at a time and put them in his toy chest.

Loki, on the other hand, decided to approach the task differently. He closed his eyes, attempting to concentrate. Slowly but surely, the remaining toys began to lift themselves off the floor. Loki carefully opened his eyes to inspect his work.

His face broke into a grin when he saw his progress. Just as the toys were nearly in the chest, they began to sink back down to the floor. "No, no, no!" he exclaimed, trying to lift them up again. He suddenly felt exhausted. The toys rested on the floor again.

Loki sighed and stared down at the floor. Frigga put her hand on his shoulder. "You did very well, Loki," she said. Loki pitifully gazed up at her. "But it didn't work," he replied. Frigga beamed at him. "From what I have seen, you are quite advanced for your age," she explained. "When I was your age I could barely lift a twig."

"Really?" Thor and Loki asked in unison. Thor and his mother never talked much about magic, as Thor seeemed to have no aptitude for it. "Really," replied Frigga, "so do not become frustrated, Loki, with time you will become quite powerful." Loki gave her a sleepy smile.

"Now," she said, "you've exhausted yourself with all this magic, and you need rest." With a wave of her hand, another small bed appeared in Thor's room. Loki gaped at her. "You can just make things appear out of thin air!?" he asked incredulously. Frigga smiled and shook her head. "No, not even the most powerful sorceress can accomplish that," she said, "I merely moved this bed here from another room."

While the boys had been playing, Frigga had ordered new clothes for Loki to be brought up, as Thor's were too big. After all teeth were brushed and all hair was combed, she shooed them into their beds. "Goodnight, boys," she said sweetly. "Goodnight, Mother," chorused Thor. "Goodnight, Frigga," said Loki sleepily. With that, Frigga left, taking the candlelight with her.

Loki found that the dark frightened him just as much on Asgard as it had on Jotunheim. _You're being stupid,_ he scolded himself, _you're in Frigga's palace, there's nothing here, and Thor's right there!_ After what seemed like hours, he finally closed his eyes and drifted into an uneasy slumber.

"Loki, Loki wake up," he heard Frigga's voice hovering over him. He slowly opened his eyes and met Frigga face to face. Her expression was pained, as if she had just gotten terrible news. "I'm so sorry, Loki," she said mournfully, "but I'm afraid you must return to Jotunheim today." Loki stiffened. "B-but why?" were the only words he was able to sputter out. Frigga sighed. "Helblindi said that he wanted you back. He didn't say why," she said.

He just sat there, mouth open in shock. "But I don't want to go back," he said simply, not knowing what else to say. Frigga's lip quivered. "I know you don't, I don't want you to, either, but I don't have any say in this," she said. Loki couldn't beleive it, he would have to go back. Back to his brother, back to the cold, back to going hungry. Heavy tears began to fall from his eyes.

Frigga wrapped him in a hug. "I'm so sorry, Loki," she said woefully. Loki buried his face in Frigga's shoudler. "I don't want to go back, I don't want to go back," he murmered into her shoulder. When the sobbing died down a bit, Frigga regretfully instucted him to get dressed and go downstairs. Even as she left, Loki was still silently weeping. After a few minutes he was finally able to calm himself down enough to go downstairs.

Loki slowly crept down the stairs. He carefully observed his surroundings, not wanting to forget anything about his stay there. Against his wishes, he arrived in the sitting room. Waiting for him was Helblindi, looking around the house with a disgusted expression. "There you are, freak," he said upon seeing Loki. "The advisors said it was a good idea to take you back, said I needed a second in command," he said apathetically.

Loki hung his head and nodded. Of course this had been too good to be true. "Bye, Loki," said a melancholy voice behind him. He turned around to find Thor. He felt his lip quiver. "Bye, Thor," he said, voice cracking. "I want you to have this," said Thor, extending his hand. It was the toy dragon that Loki had flown the night before.

Loki sniffed. "Thank you," he said weakly, accepting the toy. "Gods," said Helblindi spitefully, "you've known these people for one day, and you're crying?" Loki flinched at his brother's comment. "Come on," demanded Helblindi. He grabbed Loki's hand and dragged him away.

They walked back to the rainbow bridge on the same route he had walked with Frigga. Helblindi smacked the back of his head. "Walk faster, Freak," he ordered. Loki's little legs struggled to keep up with his brother.

They reached Heimdall's post, where Odin and Frigga were waiting. "Take us back to Jotunheim," Helblindi ordered Heimdall. Loki opened his mouth to say goodbye to Frigga, but the light exploded around them, blocking his veiw. "Wait!" he cried. "I didn't get to say goodbye!"

Thor stirred at the sound of muffled sobbing. He lit a candle and looked around the room. Loki lay in his bed, shaking and sobbing. Thor slid out of his bed and shuffled across the room. "Loki," he whispered, "Loki, wake up!"

"Loki, Loki, wake up!" Loki heard a voice calling to him. It wasn't Frigga or Helblindi. It was Thor. He felt himself being gently shaken. "Wake up!" Thor whispered again. Loki opened his eyes and saw his friend in the candlelight. "Oh, good," he said, "I thought you might have been having a fit or something."

"Huh?" Loki tried to process everything. He was still in Frigga's house, Thor was here. He sighed with relief. Everything had been a dream. Relief was then replaced with embarrassment as he realized that Thor had seen him crying.

"Oh, yeah, I - um - I had a nightmare," he said shyly. "Oh," replied Thor, "I'm not sure what to do for nightmares." "You don't do anything," Loki informed him. He froze as he heard footsteps coming from down the hall.

Frigga shook her head as she sleepily walked down the hall. She should've known they would want to stay up late. When she opened Thor's door she was met with two boys staring at her like startled deer. She sighed. "Thor, Loki," she said, "is there a good explanation as to why you are up?"

"Loki had a nightmare," Thor said suddenly. Loki glared at him. "Oh," said Frigga. She crossed over to Loki's bed and sat down next to him. "Care to tell me about it?" she asked. "It might help you."

Loki shifted in his seat. "Well, I dreamed that you woke me up and said that I had to go back to Jotunheim. You said that Helblindi wanted me back. And then he dragged me to the Bifrost and I - I didn't get to say goodbye to you," his voice wavered.

Frigga hugged him and assured him that it was all over now, but inside she wondered if Helblindi would ever want Loki back. She hoped he would get married soon, have a son so he wouldn't need Loki. She pushed the thoughts from her head for Loki's sake.

"Don't hesitate to wake me up if you need me," she said. "Now try to get some sleep, you'll need it." With that, she kissed both of them on the forehead and left. _If Helblindi ever does want him back,_ she thought, _I don't know if I'll be able to give him up._ Was another war really worth it for one little boy? It was to Frigga.


	4. Loki Adjusts

The days went on and Loki began to adjust to life on Asgard. The friendship between he and thor only grew stronger. Frigga started to teach him to read Asgardian, and he loved every minute of it. His nightmares began to die down after the second week, after Odin came back and assured him that his brother did not want him back. After that, Loki was more carefree than he had ever been.

He found that he loved living with Frigga and her family. It was as if he had discovered what a family was. Odin and Frigga never yelled at he and Thor, or each other. It was peaceful.

The weeks passed and he felt as though he had always lived in Asgard. The cold of Jotunheim was like a long-lost bad dream. Things began to fall into a routine. Every morning, he and Thor woke up to find breakfast made for them, then would study with Frigga. After studying reading and mathematics, Frigga taught him magic while Thor watched intently.

Loki was so tired after practicing his spells that he would have to eat again, then he would go with Frigga and Thor for a riding lesson. He found that he like horses very much, and that riding was quite relaxing.

At the end of the day, Frigga would make dinner. Loki found it odd that she would cook when she had servants to do it for her, but her food was always delicious. Loki and Thor would often help her with the cooking. "Why do we have to learn how to cook, anyway?" asked Thor one day. "So you can appriciate what the servants do for us," Frigga answered.

Loki enjoyed cooking much more than Thor did, it seemed. He felt as though he needed to help Frigga after all she had done for him. Even dinner fell into a sort of routine. Loki and Thor would help Frigga with the cooking, Odin would come home most nights, and then the boys would set the table.

After about three weeks, Loki had gotten accustomed to this along with everything else. Though one day, he broke the routine. "Here," said Frigga, handing him a stack of plates, "take these to the table." Loki took the plates and set off for the table. "Yes, Mother," he said it without even thinking.

He froze and tensed up. Should he have called her that? After all, she wasn't his real mother. As he froze, he could feel the plates slipping through his fingers, but could do nothing to stop them. They shattered on the ground with a clatter. "Loki!" exclaimed Frigga. He ducked, bracing for impact.

"What happened, are you all right?" asked Frigga worriedly. "I'm sorry," said Loki. "Nevermind that," said Frigga, "are you hurt, did you get cut?" He shook his head. "All right, then," she said, patting him on the back. With a wave of her hand, the plates fixed themselves and flew onto the table.

Odin stuck his head through the door. "Is everything all right?" he asked. Frigga nodded. "Perfectly fine," she replied, "our sons are just a little clumsy tonight." Loki couldn't contain his smile. Had she just called him her son? He was in good spirits for the rest of the night. From then on, he addressed Frigga as 'Mother'.

It was also the third week when Thor began asking him questions about Jotunheim. They were in Frigga's garden, in a little pocket in a thicket of bushes that Thor used as a playhouse. They'd taken refuge there in search of shade, their playing had made Loki hot. After a few minutes of resting, Thor finally got up his courage.

"So," he said, "Mother said you were from Jotunheim." Loki nodded. "But you don't look like a Jotun," he continued. "Before I came here, Mother put a spell on me so I would look like an Aseir, but I can change back whenever I want to," Loki answered.

Thor's eyes widened in fascination. "Can you do it right now?" he asked. Loki bit his lip. "Umm, Mother told me not to do it unless she said I could," he said nervously. "But you can trust me," replied Thor, "I won't even tell anyone you can do it."

Loki looked at the ground, then back at Thor. "Alright," he said, taking a deep breath, "just give me a few seconds." He closed his eyes and concentrated. He felt a chill run over his body and he opened his eyes. Thor looked at him in amazement. "Wow," he breathed. Loki looked down at his arm. It had returned to its original blue color.

It felt like ages since he had last worn his true form. "Your eyes.." Thor's voice trailed off. Loki lowered his head. "They're scary, I know," he said guiltily. "They're amazing!" exclaimed Thor. Loki's head snappped up. "Really?" he asked. Thor nodded enthusiastically. Loki couldn't help but smile, revealing those jagged Jotun teeth.

"Woah!" exclaimed Thor. "Your teeth! That's amazing!" Loki's smile widened. "Thank you," he said meekly. He looked through the bushes and saw some people approaching. Quickly, he switched back to his Aseir form. Thor peered through as well and beamed. "My friends are here!" he excalimed. "You should come meet them!"

Loki's eyes darted back to the grass. "Uhh, I don't think I should," he said. "Why not?" asked Thor. Loki chewed on his lip. "I don't think they'll like me," he said. Thor tilted his head to one side like a confused puppy. "Why wouldn't they like you? I like you," he said.

"Because I'm a Jotun," Loki said quietly, pulling his knees up to his chest, "I've started reading books now that I know more. All of the stories I've read so far are about Aseir killing Jotuns. If they find out, they might hate me."

"I don't think they'll hate you," said Thor, "but I won't tell them all the same, and if they do find out, and they do hate you, then who cares?" Loki shifted in the grass. "I thought you might care, they're your friends," he said.

Thor shook his head. "If they hate you, then they're not my friends anymore. They're just friends, we're brothers," he said proudly. Loki just stared at him, mouth agape. "You mean that?" he asked in awe. Thor nodded. "Of course! Mother adopted you, that makes you my brother, so we stick together," he explained.

Loki broke out into a wide, toothy grin. "Thank you," he said quietly. Thor returned the smile. "Come on," he said, "let's go meet my friends!" Thor crawled out of the bush and Loki reluctanly followed. "Hey!" Thor called to his friends. "Wait a minute!"

A boy with wavy blond hair whirled around and met them with a smile. "There you are!" he exclaimed. "We've been looking all over for you!" The boy was accompanied by a group of other children; a boy with black hair who really didn't seem that keen on being there, a boy who looked to be a few years older than the others, and one girl with black braids.

The girl gave Loki a good once-over. "Who is this?" she asked. "This is Loki," explained Thor, "my new brother," he said proudly. The other children looked at them curiously. The blond boy tilted his head. "Did I hear you right?" he asked. Thor nodded. "Mother and Father adopted him, he's an orphan from...the northern hills," he added, careful not to let Loki's secret slip.

The oldest boy, who sported brown locks that almost covered his eyes, was the first to speak up. "Welcome, Loki!" he said, clapping Loki on the back. Loki greeted him with a nervous smile. "Any friend of Thor's is a friend of ours!" said the blond boy cheerfully. One by one, they introduced themselves. The blond went first. "I am Fandrall," he said.

"I am Hogun," said the gloomy black-haired boy.

"And I am Volstagg," said the older boy with a grin.

"My name is Sif," said the girl.

The childern played hide-and-seek in the garden. Volstagg played the seeker, after complaining that he was really too old for this sort of thing, but a stern look from Sif convinced him otherwise.

Loki was an exceptional hider, after all, he'd had lots of practice. He found a tree with low branches and quickly clambered up. After almost an hour, everyone had been found but Loki. He made sure he was quiet as a mouse when he watched them walk under his tree.

"Loki?" called Thor. "The game is over, you won. Where are you?" He was standing right under him. "Where are you?" he asked again. Loki broke out in a fit of giggles. "Up here!" he said breathlessly. The children craned their necks upward.

"You were up _there_ the whole time!?" exclaimed Volstagg. "I must be a simpleton!" Loki grinned down at his new companions. "Can you get down?" asked Thor. Loki nodded. "Sure!"

Carefully, the boy shimmied down the tree and jumped off the lowest limb, landing on his feet like a cat. "I'm impressed," remarked Sif, "you should play with us more often." Loki thought he must have been grinning like a fool, but he did not care.

"Boys!" Frigga called from the other side of the garden. "Come in, it's almost time for supper!" "Coming, Mother!" Thor shouted in return.

"I suppose this is goodbye, then," said Fandral, "it was very nice to meet you, Loki."

"Yes, I hope we see each other more often," added Volstagg.

Hogun nodded. "Yes, nice to meet you," he said.

The boys began to file out of the garden. "It was nice to meet you, Loki," said Sif, "you're a good hider."

"Thanks!" exclaimed Loki. He hadn't been sure as to wether Sif or Hogunn liked him. "Do you think they liked me?" he asked Thor nervously as they made thier way home.

Thor nodded with a smile. "Yes," he replied, "I think so."

"Even Sif and Hogun?" asked Loki

"Hogun always appears more unimpressed than he is," explained Thor, "and Sif hardly ever lets on that she likes someone, but yes, I think they like you."

Loki was spilling over with joy. He had just made friends! Thor looked over at his brother. He was doing quite well for himself on Asgard.


	5. The Secret is Out

"We must tell the people something, Odin," hissed Frigga. She had just put the boys to bed, and did not want to wake them. "He is begining to meet other children, the word will get around. We must say something, or Loki will never have a normal childhood!"

Odin sighed. "I know, I know," he said. They had taken refuge in their bedroom, but still kept their voices down. "I thought perhaps if we said he was part of a peace treaty between Helblindi and I, the people would be sympathetic, and he would not have to hide his Jotun nature," offered Odin.

Frigga knitted her brows. "Yes, but who offers their brother up as a bargaining chip?" she asked. Odin waved the question away. "The people are ignorant of Jotun culture thanks to the constant fighting. They will not question us," he answered.

Frigga closed her eyes and thought for a moment. "They will not be pleased that a Jotun is being treated as one of our own princes," she said. Oding nodded. "Loki is younger than Thor, yes?" he asked. Frigga nodded.

"Well, it is highly unlikely that he will ever become king, so we will just have to use that to ease their minds," he said nervously. "They have always trusted our judgement," said Frigga softly, "we can only hope they will trust us now."

She drew a shuddering breath and Odin put his arm around her shoulder. "Frigga," he said reassuringly, "we will still keep him even if the public doesn't approve. We made a promise." She nodded, tears stinging at her eyes. "I know," she said, "I just want him to be happy. I don't want people to hate him because of who he is."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," assured Odin. Frigga shook her head. "You don't understand, Odin," she said shakily, "I found some of my books on his bed. They have stories about killing Jotuns in them. They talk about what hideous monsters they are. I know he can read them, and he has. I know they're getting to him."

"He'll be all right, Frigga," though even as he said it, Odin did not know if Loki really would be. He'd taken enough abuse already from his family. Could he take it from an entire kingdom?

Odin and Frigga called a council assembly the next day. They brought both boys with them. Loki never ventured more than a step away from Thor or Frigga. The boys sat on the floor next to Frigga's throne.

Loki could feel eyes on him. He had never been with this many people. "Loki," whispered Thor, "are you all right?" Loki nodded, eyes as wide as saucers. "There's just so many," he replied. "They won't do anything," dismissed Thor, "they're boring." This got a slight smile out of Loki.

Odin stood up and cleared his throat. "Attention, please!" his voice boomed through the hall. The hall fell silent. "Thank you," he continued, "Now, as you all know, I have secured a peace treaty with Helblindi, the new king of Jotunheim. However, I have neglected some of the details."

People could be seen exchanging confused glances in the crowd. Odin went on. "Some of you may have seen a small boy with my son. He is a Jotun boy," Odin allowed a couple seconds for his words to sink in, then continued, "Specifically, he is Loki, Laufey's youngest son." A collective murmur was heard throughout the crowd.

Loki shrunk back against the wall as the crowd turned to look at him. His heart began to beat faster and his lip started to quivered. Frigga looked back at him. "Loki, dear, come over here," she beckoned him to her throne. Loki nervously crept towards her and clambered into her lap. Thor sat at his mother's feet.

Meanwhile, Odin continued to speak. "Loki was brought here on condition of our new peace treaty. His brother, Helblindi, agreed to peace between Asgard and Jotunheim if his brother was brought over as a sort of trade. This is customary in Jotunheim's culture. Henceforth, Frigga and I are raising Loki as we would our own son."

This illicited questions in the form of shouts. Loki curled up against Frigga. "You're all right," she said softly. A man in the crowd managed to be heard. "Does this mean that he will have a claim to our throne?" he asked.

"It is very unlikely that will ever happen," explained Odin, "the only case in which Loki would become king is when no one else is able to."

"Is he dangerous?" asked someone else. Frigga stood up, Loki still in her arms. "Absolutely not!" she exclaimed. "He is six years old! What could he possibly do?" The man took a step back. "Calm down, Frigga," said Odin. Frigga grumbled something unintelligable and sat back down.

"You say he is Jotun," said another, "yet he appears Aseir. Why is that?"

"I cast an enchantment on him when I first brought him over. I did not want him to attract unwanted attention," answered Frigga.

There was a lull in the crowd. "If there are no further questions," said Odin, "I would like to adjourn the meeting." No one spoke. Odin surveyed the room. "Then I shall call this meeting to an end," he said.

The crowd filed out of the hall, leaving the family to itself. "That went well," said Odin with releif. Frigga nodded. "Yes, much better than I expected," she added.

"Is that how it really happened?" asked Loki.

"What do you mean?" asked Frigga.

"How I came here," explained Loki, "is that how it happened?"

Frigga swallowed. "Yes, that is how it happened," she answered. She would tell him what really happened when he was old enough. "Mother," Thor said from the floor, "when is supper? I'm hungry." Frigga smiled. "We'll eat soon, don't worry," she replied. There were two constants in the realms; uncertainty, and Thor's appetite.

Loki slid off her lap to join Thor as they walked back to their chamers. They ran ahead of their parents, laughing and squealing. They piped down after Frigga scolded them, though. The boys were a bit more orderly afterwards. Frigga allowed herself a small smile. They were shaping up to be quite the family.


	6. Loki Gains a Friend

_A/N: Merry (late) Christmas and Happy (late) Holidays! I know it's been so long since I've updated this one, but I thought this would be the perfect time to start back! I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for reading and Happy New Year!_

Once Loki's true identity was revealed, the king and queen were bombarded with questions from all reaches of the kingdom, and even from some other realms. Frigga continued to worry and fret that Loki would never be accepted in Asgard, but Thor was still doing his part to help with this matter. He made sure that Loki went out with him to play with the other children around the palace. He hoped they would accept him as he had, but wherever Loki was concerned, one could never be certain.

Thor's friends, Fandral, Volstagg, Sif, and Hogunn, were largely unfazed by the big reveal, and continued to let Loki play with them.

"Why did you lie?" Sif asked Thor and Loki, arms crossed.

Thor blushed and fixed his gaze on the ground.

"Mother wasn't sure how she wanted to tell everyone," Thor replied awkwardly.

"And I didn't think you all would like me if you knew what I was," said Loki, peeking out from behind Thor.

Sif's expression softened. She looked back at her comrades, who gave more approving looks. "I suppose that's fair," she said.

"Yes!" boomed Volstagg as he stepped forward. "If the king and queen trust you, then we can certainly trust you!"

"More importantly, Thor trusts you," said Hogunn quietly.

Loki timidly stepped out from behind Thor, a smile beginning to form at the corners of his mouth. "You don't hate me because I'm a frost giant?" he asked.

They shook their heads. "We liked you before we knew, I hardly think we could hate you just because you are a frost giant," decided Sif, "it wouldn't make much sense."

"Thank you," breathed Loki. He could hardly believe himself; he had made friends, Aseir friends! They liked him, really liked him! Loki grinned like a fool as he gazed at his new friends, friends who didn't care what he was.

"So," said Fandral slowly, "um, do you…do you think you could maybe show us…um, what you…look like?" In Loki's experience, Fandral never stumbled, but this matter apparently put his tongue in knots. The feeling was mutual, as Loki's muscles seized up out of habit. Despite his new friends' reassurance, those stories about bloodthirsty Aseir fought their way into his mind.

"I – I don't…I don't know," his breathing quickened as he looked at his brother for help.

"You don't have to, Loki," assured Thor, placing a hand on a shoulder to calm him, "but they won't hate you if you do."

"I don't think I'm ready yet," he said, "but…someday, I'm sure I will be."

The group collectively nodded. "That's fair," replied Sif, "you don't have to if you don't want to."

Loki breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you," he said, finally relaxing a bit.

The other children never pressed him any further, seeing the obvious distress it caused him.

Other children were not as forgiving. When they weren't working on schoolwork, Thor and Loki would look for other children to play with. The servants' children had usually always jumped at the chance to play with Thor. However, after Loki's arrival, they were much more reluctant.

The blacksmith's shop had once been a favorite hangout of Thor's. After meeting up with Sif and the Warriors Three, as they liked to call themselves, Thor took Loki to the smithy to see if any of the workers' children would play with them. "Hello!" Thor called cheerfully to the children that milled around the finished shields and helmets.

Thor motioned to one of the boys in the small group, a tall boy seemingly about Thor's age with curly red hair. "Loki, this is my friend, Theoric. He wants to be a soldier when he grows up, so someday we may fight together!" exclaimed Thor.

Loki smiled and nodded politely, although he could not imagine why Thor, or anyone for that matter, would ever aspire to go to war. He had seen war, and never wanted to see it again.

"Hello," said Loki, "my name is Loki, nice to meet you." He made sure to act just as Frigga had taught him to when meeting new people. Loki was rather anxious to make new friends. To his dismay, Theoric wrinkled his nose. "You're the giant boy, aren't you?" he asked, seemingly disgusted. Loki froze. He had no idea what to do. Should he run? Should he fight? Thor came to his aid before he could decide.

"What of it!?" demanded Thor as he stepped closer, daring Theoric to elaborate.

"We've been fighting the giants for years," sneered Theoric, "now the king and queen want to turn one of them into an Aseir prince. My father says it's a disgrace, says he'll turn on us." As he spoke, Loki heard a thunderclap overhead as Thor clenched his jaw.

"He also says the Jotuns are probably using him as a spy," said Theoric with a venomous look at Loki. For a split second, Loki saw Thor's mouth open, preparing to defend him, but in that moment, he was so angry that he jumped on the other boy with a high-pitched battle cry.

"I'm not a spy!" he shrieked, "Never call me that! I'd never turn on Frigga! I'd never turn on Thor!"

By this time there was a crowd of children gathered around the boys.

"Loki, that's enough," said Thor, reaching out to grab his brother, but Loki slapped his hand away, never breaking eye contact with Theoric.

"Take it back," growled Loki. Color drained from Theoric's face and he screamed. The boys gathered around them gasped and scrambled back in horror.

"Let him up, Loki," urged Thor, "it's not worth it."

Loki looked at his hands and scrambled backwards off the older boy. In his anger, he had shifted back to his Jotun form.

"Y-you are a monster," said Theoric shakily.

Loki shivered, and tears formed in his eyes as he shifted back to his Aseir skin.

"And we are no longer friends," Thor replied coldly. He took Loki by the shoulder and led him back towards the palace.

As they walked, the weight of his actions crashed down on Loki. Once they were far enough away from the smithy, Loki started to shake and cry. "I shouldn't have done that," he sobbed, I'm going to get in trouble!" A horrible thought struck him, and he cried even harder. "What it they send me back!?"

"They're not going to send you back, Loki," said Thor, "Mother and Father adopted you. To send you away would be like sending me away. You have nothing to worry about!"

Loki sniffed. "You're certain?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm quite certain," replied Thor.

Then, suddenly, they heard a small voice from behind a column.

"I don't think you're a monster," they turned around to face the voice, and were met by a small girl, around Loki's age.

"What?" asked Loki. The girl blushed and slowly took a step forward.

"I said I don't think you're a monster," she repeated, "I think it was very wrong of Theoric to say those things about you."

"Thank you," squeaked Loki.

Thor grinned and nudged his brother forward. Loki shot him a nasty look before turning back to the girl.

"My name is Sigyn," she said shyly.

"And my name is Loki," he replied. What could he say next? What does a person do in such situations? Frigga hadn't told him yet. The two children awkwardly stared at each other for a few moments.

"My brother doesn't have many friends," Thor butted in. Again, Loki threw him a nasty look.

Sigyn smiled softly. "I don't have many friends either," she said.

"Would you like to be my friend?"

Loki stared dumbfounded for a few more seconds.

"Of course he would!" exclaimed Thor. Loki was suddenly brought back to his senses.

"Y-yes," he said finally, "yes, I would like to be friends."

Sigyn's smile widened. "Wonderful!" she exclaimed. "My sisters will never believe me when I tell them I've made friends with a prince!"

"You could tell them you've befriended two princes if you like," said Thor with a grin.

"Oh, wonderful!" she said cheerfully.

Loki had finally gotten enough courage to speak now. "We normally play in the gardens," he said, "you can meet us there tomorrow afternoon if you like."

"Yes," replied Sigyn, "I would like that very much."


	7. Lessons Learned

As the two brothers made their way back to Odin and Frigga's house, Loki became increasingly nervous. Thor furrowed his brow as he looked at Loki's shivering form. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I'm still going to get in trouble," he said, voice slightly cracking.

"No, you won't," insisted Thor, "Theoric insulted you, I think Mother will understand."

Loki wasn't entirely convinced as they entered the house. His heartbeat thudded in his ears as he saw Frigga in the dining room and realized they had stayed out too long.

"Good evening, boys," said Frigga coolly. Loki swallowed.

"Good evening, Mother," he replied, lip quivering.

"Evening, Mother," said Thor stiffly.

"I see you've stayed out past your curfew," said Frigga.

The boys said nothing in return, and stared at the ground. Frigga continued, "Do either of you know why Theoric's father interrupted your father's time in his study?"

Thor said nothing. Loki shook his head. Frigga raised her eyebrows.

"Because Theoric's father said that you attacked his son, Loki. Now, you wouldn't do something like that, now would you?"

Again, Loki's lip began to quiver. "I didn't mean to!" he sobbed. At this point, Thor decided to step in.

"It was Theoric's fault!" he exclaimed. "He said horrible things about Loki! He said that Loki was a spy and that he was going to turn on us!"

Frigga's eyes danced from Thor to Loki, then back to Thor again. "I see," she said coolly. "Eat your supper, boys, then straight to bed." The boys nodded and took their seats at the table and ate their supper in silence.

"We will discuss this further in the morning when your father is present," stated Frigga. The boys muttered an acknowledgement and continued eating.

When she saw their downtrodden expressions, Frigga softened a bit. "If it's any consolation, I'm inclined to believe you both," she said. Thor and Loki raised their heads.

"You do?" asked Loki. Frigga nodded.

"Yes. Thor has been friends with Theoric for quite a while now, and I doubt that you'd let your little brother attack your friend without serious provocation. Right, Thor?"

Thor nodded. "Of course, Mother," he replied, "you should have heard what Theoric was saying. I was just about to jump on him before Loki did!"

"As good as your intentions may have been, boys, I must warn you that violence is never the first course you should seek. Wait until it is absolutely necessary to take such action. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mother," they answered in unison. With that, they continued with their dinner.

When they had finished, Frigga ordered them to bed. Loki somberly began to make his way to the staircase when Thor's head perked up like an excited dog. "Mother, Loki made a friend today!" he exclaimed. Loki stopped dead in his tracks. "A girl, too! She seems very nice!"

Frigga grinned. "Is that so, Loki, do tell me," she said with a hint of amusement in her voice. Loki turned around, appearing to be doing what Thor and Frigga could only assume was _blushing_ , given that fact that his cheeks were beginning to turn blue. Frigga smiled even wider at the sight of this.

"Her name is Sigyn," explained Loki, "she found me after the fight with Theoric. She said that what he did was wrong, and that she didn't think I was a monster. Thor invited her to play with us tomorrow."

Frigga's smile faded. "Theoric called you a monster?" she asked. Loki nodded pitifully. Frigga swooped down and wrapped him in her arms. "Don't ever believe anyone who calls you that, understand?"

"Yes, Mother," he said shakily.

Frigga kissed him on the forehead and released him, then hugged and kissed Thor as well. "Right, then, to bed," ordered Frigga, "no playing, no talking, that's your punishment for staying out too late."

They scampered up the staircase, now in better spirits, and went to bed without complaint. Loki felt much more relaxed as he drifted off, having eluded trouble for the night. Hopefully now that Frigga felt sorry for him, Theoric would get in trouble.

The next morning, Frigga woke them up earlier than usual, and after a quick breakfast, led them into the sitting room. "They should be here any minute now," said Frigga. Loki's heart began to race.

"Who?" asked Loki nervously.

"Theoric and his parents," answered Frigga, "as well as Sigyn and hers."

When the doors opened a few minutes later, Loki had an increasingly growing urge to hide behind Thor. Theoric and his parents walked in, in addition to Sigyn and her family, as well as Odin.

Frigga showed the guests to their seats, and Loki caught a tiny wave from Sigyn that eased his spirit just a bit. Theoric, on the other hand, was staring at Thor and Loki as if his eyes were daggers. Loki shifted a bit closer to Thor.

"Now, then," started Frigga once everyone had been seated, "I hope we can get this over-with without incident and as quickly as possible. I've already had a discussion with our boys about how violence is always a last resort."

"Us as well," said Theoric's mother stiffly.

"Sigyn, dear," added Frigga, "you aren't in any trouble, you're just a witness, so that we know none of the boys are lying."

Sigyn nodded shyly.

"Well," said Odin, "I believe Theoric is the oldest, so perhaps we should start with him."

"Go on, son," urged Theoric's father.

Theoric continued to stare Loki down. "Well," he started, "it all started yesterday when my friend, Thor-," but Thor cut him off.

"We're not friends anymore," he snapped.

"Thor!" scolded Frigga. "Continue, Theoric."

"Thor introduced me to _him_ ," he pointed at Loki, "and I started talking to him, and I asked if he was a frost giant. Then he jumped on me!"

Loki rolled his eyes. That was easily the worst bit of lying he'd ever heard, _including_ all of Thor's lies.

"That's not true!" exclaimed Thor as he jumped up from his seat. "Theoric is lying!"

"Sit down, Thor," ordered Frigga, "you will tell your version next. Continue, Theoric."

Theoric glared as he went on with his story. "After he jumped on me, he turned himself into a monster! Then he stopped, and they ran off," he said, finishing his story.

Thor and Loki exchanged an exasperated look.

"Thor," said Frigga, "Why don't you give us your account of the events?"

Now it was Thor's turn to glare at Theoric. "I went to the smithy to introduce Theoric to my brother. But after I did, he started to say horrible things about Loki! He said that the Jotuns were probably using Loki as a spy, and that he would turn on us. Then Loki did jump on him, but he had reason! I would have if he didn't! And then Loki got so worked up that he turned back into his Jotun self, and Theoric called him a monster, but he's not! Loki didn't do anything wrong! He…" Frigga placed a hand on his shoulder before he got too carried away.

"I don't think Loki should be in trouble," finished Thor. The parents turned their eyes to Sigyn.

"Sigyn," said Frigga, "which story best fits what you saw? Or do neither of them fit?" she asked.

Sigyn's eyes swept around the room, cheeks red with nervousness. "Well, Your Majesty," she said shyly, "I agree with Thor. I think it was very wrong of Theoric to say those things."

She sank lower into her seat as Theorc glared at her as well.

"Well," said Frigga, "we have our story straight. However, I do believe that both boys were in the wrong, wouldn't you agree, Odin?"

Odin nodded. "Yes, I'd say they both need a stern talking-to. We'll talk to our boys about avoiding fights, and you can speak to Theoric about starting them," he advised.

Theoric's parents nodded stiffly. "Will that be all, Your Majesty?" asked Theoric's father.

Frigga stood. "Yes, Baldric, that will be all," she replied. With that, Theoric's family bowed and left, followed by Sigyn's. As the girl left, she gave Loki another little wave, which he returned with a slight smile.

Thor turned his attention to his father. "Why didn't you say anything to Theoric's father?" he asked. "The other day, Loki told you Theoric said that his father said that having Loki here was a disgrace! Isn't he going to get in trouble for that?"

Odin shook his head. "No, Thor," he said. "While I think that Baldric is wrong to think such things, I do not think it wise to punish him for it."

"Why not?"

"How would you feel if someone told you what you should think?"

"But this is different!"

"Is it? What if I were making truly awful decisions, and barred the people from saying anything about them?"

Thor paused for a moment. "You wouldn't know how people felt? You'd have no idea the people didn't support you?"

"Very good. Now, Loki is a special case. We'd never give him up, no matter how much the public protested, but all the same, they have a fundamental right as people to disagree with your mother and I. These are issues you will be confronted with as a king, Thor. You must learn to work with people that don't agree with you."

"Like Helblindi?" asked Loki.

Odin nodded. "Yes, just like Helblindi. Neither of us want to be in the same room, but we know it is completely necessary for the sake of our kingdoms."

Odin patted them both on the back. "You're quick learners, both of you. You'll make fine leaders, I'm sure."

As Odin made his way out the door, Loki noticed Thor looking a little pale. "Don't worry," he said, "you'll be a great king."

Thor smiled. "Thank you, brother," he said softly.


	8. Time Takes a Toll

Loki calmed down significantly in the aftermath of 'The Theoric Incident' as Thor and Loki's friends came to call it. He would catch glances of the older boy here and there, but nothing occurred. Eventually, Loki learned to ignore him altogether.

Sigyn did join them in the gardens for games, and was quickly welcomed by the group. She was an oddball, not belonging to any sort of noble family, nor did she have any interest in combat, but nevertheless, the group enjoyed her presence.

"So, if you don't want to be a warrior, what _do_ you want to be?" asked Sif one day after another game of hide and seek. They would have played war, if not for Sigyn's protest, and Loki's quiet agreement.

Sigyn blushed. "Well, I…I always wanted to be a healer," she answered shyly.

"Wonderful!" boomed Volstagg. "Every party of warriors needs a healer!" The others murmured their approval as well

Sigyn smiled, "Thank you. What about you, Loki, what do you want to be?"

Loki frowned and stared at the ground. What _did_ he want to be? Just being alive was good enough for him on Jotunheim, and even _that_ would have difficult to achieve. On Asgard he could actually do something with his time, but what? He hadn't given it any thought.

"I…I don't really know," he said slowly, "I guess I haven't thought about it."

Thor shrugged. "Well, you have plenty of time to think about it," he said, "and if you still don't know, you can always be right-hand man."

Loki grinned. "Thank you, brother," he said.

Weeks turned to months, months turned to years. At thirteen years old, Loki threatened to catch up to his brother in height. He was still a skinny wisp of a thing, though; and Thor would usually beat him in practice sparring, as long as Loki didn't use magic. He'd become quite advanced in magic over the years, and was beginning to see the entertainment value in it. He had wreaked havoc when he learned to make objects move from a distance. For example, yanking Thor's sword from his hand during training, dumping a bucket of water on Theoric's head (very well hidden of course, so as not to arouse suspicion).

Unfortunately, it seemed that age was putting quite a strain on his relationship with Thor. They grew apart where interests were concerned. Loki sparred when he had to, and preferred studying magic in addition to his regular studies, while Thor was just the opposite. His brother became distanced from him. Thor often wouldn't want to talk to him, would storm off at the slightest provocation, and took to causing his own mischief with Loki. The most common of these annoyances was hiding Loki's books. One day after his magic lessons, Loki had had the last of this. He'd set a book on healing magic to take to Sigyn later, but had come back to his room to find it gone.

His nostrils flared as the searched the room, finding no trace of the book. "THOR!" he yelled as he stormed out of their room.

"Yes," Thor answered calmly from the sitting room.

"What did you do with my book!?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," replied Thor.

"Yes you do! You're always hiding them. Probably because you don't know what to do with them, you stupid oaf!"

Thor had done this one time too many, and taking a book meant for Sigyn was the last straw for Loki. He made no attempt to hold his tongue this time.

Thor glared at him and stood up. "You may want to think twice about your words, Loki," he said darkly.

"No, I won't!" Loki shouted. He could feel the blue creeping over his skin, but he didn't care. "I'm sick of you! You always act like you're mad at me, but I never do anything! You hide my books for no reason! You're always trying to copy my schoolwork!" Loki meant to say more after he caught his breath, but he flinched at the enormous thunderclap overhead.

"You're sick of me!? I'm sick of you!" Thor shouted back. "You always act like you're so smart, waving your magic and books around! If it weren't for magic, you wouldn't win any fights!"

"And if you weren't good at fighting, you wouldn't be good at ANYTHING!" returned Loki.

There was another thunderclap, but Thor said nothing. For a split second, Loki thought he saw tears welling up n his brother's eyes. He stepped back as he realized he'd somehow gone too far.

Thor whirled around and stormed off to their room. Loki didn't stop him, he just heard him slam the door. The sound of heavy rain against the window followed. After a few minutes had passed, Loki ventured up the staircase to check on Thor. He pressed his ear against the door and heard muffled sobbing. Loki gently knocked on the door. "Thor? I'm sorry," he said cautiously.

"Go away, Loki!" yelled Thor, poorly disguising his shaky voice.

Loki had never heard Thor cry. In fact, he had always been so happy during their childhoods, he scarcely believed Thor _could_ cry.

This was more than just sibling rivalry, of that much, Loki was sure. "Thor, I really am sorry," he tried again.

"And I really want you to go away!" Thor shouted again.

Loki sighed. "Alright, then," he said, "you leave me no other choice."

He whispered a quick spell and the lock gave way.

"I said leave!" exclaimed Thor as Loki entered the room. He threw a pillow at him as hard as he could. Loki could have blocked it with magic, but instead let it hit him squarely in the face.

"What do you want now?" asked Thor, face red and eyes puffy.

"I want to know what's wrong," replied Loki as he joined him on the bed.

"What do you care?" grumbled Thor.

"I've always cared," answered Loki, "I've cared since you were the first person that wanted to be my friend. I've always cared from the day we became brothers."

Loki's eyes flitted to his bedside table. With a flick of his wrist, something green floated up from behind a pile of books; it was the toy dragon that Thor had let Loki play with his first day in Asgard.

Thor sniffed. "You're right," he said, "I'm sorry. This whole thing was stupid, I'm stupid."

"No, you're not," replied Loki, "everyone has their moments."

Thor shook his head. "No, I really am stupid," he said with a sob.

"What's all this about? Why haven't you been talking to me?"

Thor took a deep breath. "I've been mad at you because you're smarter than me, and you're not supposed to be. You're younger than me, when you got here you couldn't even read, and now you're smarter than I could ever hope to be," he said with a downcast look at Loki.

 _Oh_ , thought Loki, _that's why he got so tore up over those comments._

"I wouldn't put it like that," said Loki, grabbing at straws trying to find things to say.

"Maybe not, but you know it's right," said Thor, "schoolwork that takes you half the day takes me damn near a whole week."

"Well," Loki started slowly, "that doesn't mean you're not smart, maybe you just have a different attitude or approach…," his voice trailed off.

"It's not my attitude," said Thor, "when all this started, I _wanted_ to do it. I wanted to be smart, so I could be a great king, but nothing makes sense and I guess…I guess I stopped caring."

Loki furrowed his brow. "What do you mean 'when all this started'?" he asked. Thor swallowed nervously.

"Do you swear not to tell anyone?" he asked. "Not even Mother!"

"Thor, what is this?" asked Loki in disbelief.

Thor grabbed him by the shoulders. Loki looked in his brother's eyes and saw pain for the first time. "Just promise me," begged Thor.

"Alright," said Loki, "I swear I won't tell anyone, not even Mother."

Thor sighed with relief and released Loki.

"Well, let's have it, then," urged Loki.

"I – I think…," Thor took a deep breath, "I think there might be something wrong with me."

Loki just sat there for a moment. "Care to elaborate?" he asked.

"It's been happening for a long time, before you came to Asgard. I've always had trouble reading. I learned the alphabet well enough, and I can read, it just takes me so long, it's like a puzzle. I thought it was normal, until I realized everyone else my age could read without hindrance," he explained. "Fighting is the only thing I'm good at," he muttered bitterly, "with fighting I can just…I can just act, I can think without having to process words, you know?"

Loki nodded.

"Why didn't you tell Mother?" asked Loki.

"Because once I realized that it wasn't normal, I didn't want to tell anyone. I didn't want anyone to know I'm stupid," he said, "and I didn't want it to get out to the kingdom. If the people found out, they wouldn't want me to be heir, and they already don't want it to be you. Though if it's any consolation, I think you'd do a better job than me."

Loki shook his head. "Me, in charge of millions of people? Not a chance," he said with a lighthearted tone, "and you're not stupid, you're just different."

"You really think so?"

"I think I of all people should know," replied Loki, shifting to blue for a moment. He and Thor shared a smile before Thor returned to his downcast look.

"So, what can we do about me?" asked Thor worriedly.

Loki pursed his lips. "What did you do with that book?" he asked.

"Are you still on about that? I said I was sorry!"

"No, I mean it might be helpful you dolt!"

"Oh," said Thor awkwardly, "it's under the first couch cushion in the sitting room."

Loki sprang up to retrieve the book and was back in a matter of seconds. "There might be something in here," he said, "though, I'm not sure what to look for, I don't study healing that's all…Sigyn," he finished slowly.

Thor groaned. "Ugh! I get it, you love her, get on with it!"

"I do not love her!" snapped Loki.

Thor nodded smugly. "Sure you don't," he teased, "and birds don't fly, and fish don't drink water."

Loki's eyes narrowed. "Fish _don't_ drink water," he said irritably as he leafed through the pages. "What I meant was that Sigyn wants to be a healer, and she's read several books on the subject. Perhaps she could help us."

Thor chewed on his lip as he thought for a moment. "Believe me, she's trustworthy," said Loki, "she won't tell a soul, and I think she'll be excited to get some practice in."

"I suppose we could use some help," Thor said slowly.

"Excellent!" exclaimed Loki, "Come on, let's go find her!"

Thor chuckled as they made their way down the hall.

"What's so funny?" asked Loki.

"Just how quickly you sprung up to find Sigyn," he answered cheerfully.

"What's your point?"

"Oh, Sigyn!" Thor said mockingly, imitating Loki, "I've brought you a book, my dearest lady love! Please tell me more disgusting anatomy facts!" He then pretended to swoon and bat his eyelashes.

Loki smirked. "Well, if we're going down this road," he said smugly, "allow me to join in the fun." He cleared his throat. "Oh, uh, um…hi Sif!" he said in a gruff and silly parody of Thor's voice. "D-do you want to spar? No? Well, uh, I can polish your sword, or your armor. I'll lick the ground if you want me to. You're such a great warrior, Sif, please smush me into the dirt, it would be an honor!"

"Ah, what are you boys up to?" the voice made them freeze. They looked down the hall to find both Sif and Sigyn in the adjoining archway.

"Oh… uh, hi, girls," said Loki nervously.

"Just out of curiosity, how much of that did you hear?" asked Thor, blushing.

"Enough," quipped Sif. Sigyn was practically doubling over, giggling.

"Splendid acting," sniggered Sigyn.

Loki laughed nervously. "So, what are you two doing out here?" he asked.

Sif shrugged. "Just walking, talking, nothing exciting. What about you?"

"We're on something of a quest," said Loki, picking up some shreds of his dignity, "we were on our way to search for help. In fact, you're just the people we need."

Thor started slapping him on the arm, clearly not wanting to continue their 'quest' after his blunder.

"Oh, will you stop?" asked Loki, turning to Thor. "This is fine, trust me!"

"What kind of quest?" asked Sigyn. "I don't think I'm much suited for questing."

"Believe me, you are the exact person we need for this quest," assured Loki with a smirk.

 _A/N: Alright, that's all the time we have, folks. Not sure when I'll be able to post again, but I will continue. I got this idea by looking at a lot of fan comics on Pinterest. There's always a huge divide between them in these comics. Loki is always reading and whatnot, while Thor just wants to fight with his buddies. But what if this divide wasn't really by choice? I just got to thinking maybe this bothers Thor, because a king has to be more than just strong. My mom has dyslexia, and had trouble in school because of it as well. I will probably have Thor elaborate on his troubles more in the next chapter. I don't really know where I'm going with this, I just thought it would be a nice concept for them to help each other, plus we're seeing some budding middle school romance, hopefully I will be able to add more humorous antics in the future. Thanks for reading, please let me know what you think!_


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